THE DIRT june 2014
Worlds preview GEELONG BMX TRACK REBUILD my life in bmx: ABE SCHNEIDER uci bmx sx aus update
THE DIRT July 2014 With only a few weeks to go before TeamAUS makes it’s mark on the 2015 UCI BMX World Championships in Rotterdam, this month’s issue of THE DIRT will give readers all the information about the event and riders going. We also pay tribute to Abe Schneider, who has recently resigned from the BMX Australia board after nearly 45
You can be a part of THE too!
DIRT
If you have news, event reports, photos or anything else BMX related, send them to the Editor at news@bmxaustralia.com.au Cover: Caroline Buchanan after winning the Elite Women World Championship in 2013.
years in the sport. His journey in BMX is definitely a must read!
bmxaustralia.com.au
IN THIS ISSUE GEELONG BMX TRACK REBUILD 2014 uci sx AUSSIE update my life in bmx: abe schneider madill guides shadow squad aussies on track for rotterdam a ride around the country
geelong bmx club begin track rebuild The Geelong BMX club will this month begin a complete track rebuild courtesy of some generous local and state government funding.
The planned two-month reconstruction, carried out by renowned track builder Ash McCutcheon, will have a 5m start hill and a barrel gate built by Rodger Madill. To follow progress of the rebuild, go to the Geelong Thunder facebook page for regular updates.
5MINS WITH STEVE HUNTER Getting Dirty - Five minutes with Steve Hunter, President BMX Victoria Steve Hunter was elected as the new president of BMX Victoria at the state’s AGM and we sat down to find out a little more about him. How old are you Steve and how do you make a buck? I’m 62 and I manage a motorbike shop What club are you in? I’m with South Eastern in Oakleigh, Melbourne How long have you been involved in BMX? Since 2000. I got into it the usual way when my son joined up. He was 12 at the time and still rides BMX now along with riding downhill mountain bikes. What’s your best BMX memory? Personally it’s getting a 2A plate at the nationals a few years ago in Shepparton. I’ve won a few 1V plates but never a 1A. I’m getting on now racing guys much younger than me so I’m running out of time!
What would you like the legacy of your Presidency with BMXV to be? Some of the stuff the board and I will need to do is boring to most members but it’s really necessary, things like governance and proper administration. I’d like to see female membership numbers grow. I think we all do. And I’d like to encourage Victorian clubs to lift the standard of their tracks. Higher start hills, more technical tracks. This encourages clubs to better engage the local councils. What’s your last word? I am really looking forward to working with our members and BMX Australia over the next year.
2014 uci bmx sx aussie update Caroline Buchanan is leading the Aussie charge at the halfway point of this year’s UCI BMX Supercross season. Buchanan has two wins from three rounds, her only non-podium effort a fourth placed finish in Papendal sandwiched between triumphs in Manchester and Berlin. The 2013 world champion now sits on 605 points, 110 clear of Dutchwoman Laura Smulders (495) and Venezuela’s Stefany Hernandez on 485. Melinda McLeod is the next best Australian in tenth on 250.
Chula Vista, USA
In the elite men’s competition Santiago del Estero Anthony Dean is currently third on Argentina 405 - 50 points shy of Brit Liam Phillips and ten behind Joris Daudet (France). Despite having competed in just the Papendal round, which he won, Sam Willoughby (225) is the second best ranked Australian in 15th. The final three rounds are at the world championships in Rotterdam on 26-27 July, Santiago in Argentina (6-7 September) and Chula Vista (USA) on 26-27 September.
AUST
1
Papend The Nethe
Manchester, England
TRALIA
14
dal, erlands
Berlin, Germany
MY LIFE IN BMX: ABE SCHNEIDER When Abe Schneider stepped down from the board of BMX Australia in May it was the end of an era for a colourful character who has doubtless contributed more to the sport in this country – and maybe even the world – than any other. Schneider held so many roles and racked up so many achievements at every level of BMX administration, both domestically and globally where he was the UCI BMX Commission President for 12 years, that this magazine is not long enough to even list them. Trust us though, Abe was the man! We spent some time with the proud Western Australian to, as he said, ‘try and squeeze 45 years into a few minutes’. My time in BMX has been a wonderful journey. I couldn’t even tell you how long I’ve been involved but it’s somewhere around 45 years. In the early 70’s I was in the USA and I saw BMX at about the same time I retired from speedway racing where I was an Australian representative. I was hooked from the start. I came back home to Perth, bought some land and built a track. When it started some people saw it as a babysitting service and maybe it was but the people came. We started racing and practicing and more people came. We got lights too, the first track in Australia to do so. When two other tracks opened in Perth we formed the WA BMX organisation and the sport spread like wildfire in WA and tracks started popping up all over the country. In 1979 a guy called Mike Raymond, a great man and successful speedway promoter, and I got together with some others and started the Australian BMX Association. We formed a board and I was the interim President. Three months later we had democratic elections and someone else took over and the sport was off and running. In the early 80’s BMX was thriving. It was a great time to be involved at the forefront of this revolution. As things grew, both here and overseas, six nations formed the International BMX Federation. There was us, France, Japan, the Netherlands, the USA and Brazil. I was part of that and we ran events for nearly 20 years and in that time I formed a vision. My vision, my dream caused me to get called every name under the sun. People laughed at me, called me names, thought I was crazy, but I didn’t care.
My dream was to take BMX to the Olympics. I believed we deserved to be on sport’s greatest stage and I pushed and pushed. I lobbied hard at the highest level of the UCI and later the IOC. I became vice president of the IBMXF. In 1983 I had to convince 92 delegates at the IBMXF conference to vote unanimously to join the UCI and then chase my Olympic dream and I did. It took 15 years to get that to happen and I received threats of all kinds but I stuck solid. I gave the inaugural speech to the IOC about BMX and why it should be an Olympic sport and despite being heckled from someone in the crowd I got a standing ovation. When BMX was finally admitted to the Olympics in 2008 it rejuvenated the whole sport. It’s become professional and it’s grown the sport around the world. It’s a wonderful sport, I’m proud to have been involved. Personally it’s been very gratifying. I came in without wanting a thankyou and I left without wanting a thankyou. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m very proud of what I’ve left behind. We are proud of what you’ve left too Abe. And whether you want it or not, we’d like to offer a massive thanks for your contribution.
@rachjones58
@cbuchanan68
JOIN THE #DKFAMILY @dkbicycles_aus facebook.com/dkbicyclesaustralia
madill guides shadoW squad Last month BMX Australia Development Academy Coach Luke Madill conducted a camp for seven girls in the BMXA junior elite shadow squad at his LMX track in western Sydney. The two-day shadow squad camp was the first of its kind conducted by BMXA and South Australian coaches Amanda Tidswell and Tammy Clarke ably assisted Madill. The girls rode the track at the Monster Skate Park at Sydney Olympic Park, spent time on Madill’s track and it’s daunting SX hill, learnt a pre training warm up they could use in the future and did some testing on the spin bikes. Amongst many skills and lessons the girls worked on throughout the weekend was a theme of overcoming fear and Madill was chuffed with their efforts. “I was impressed by the commitment shown by all the girls,” Madill said. “Although initially nervous at the Monster Skate Park and on the big hill, they all stepped up when asked to and tried things they never thought they would. “They all started to believe in themselves and their confidence had grown so much in the two days. “By the end of the weekend we had all the girls riding down the hill landing on the safety case pad and two girls clearing the whole jump consistently. “All the girls went home injury free and enthusiastic about riding their bikes again. Their confidence and belief had grown in themselves, which was the whole aim of the camp. “I was extremely proud of all the girls and the efforts they put in.” Western Australian Rachelle Smith, who rides for the Bunbury club and who will compete in the junior elite event at the upcoming world championships in Rotterdam, said the benefits for the girls in attendance were massive.
“A huge thankyou to BMX Australia for giving us this opportunity,” Smith said. “I know all the girls had a blast and are keen for more camps like it. “I found all the coaching that Luke gave us to be very valuable and I think, him being a rider, all the tips he gave us were very useful and what I could relate to. Luke was filled with knowledge that could always help to improve my riding from big things to very little things.” Smith pinpointed the time on the SX ramp and practice jumping as a highpoint of the exercise. “The highlight of the camp for me was getting down the 8m ramp and hitting the first jump, that was my main goal for the camp and by the end I felt a lot more comfortable than I did when I first got there which was a huge achievement and even just getting a lot more confident with my jumping down the other straights.” Attended Riders: Kira ALLAN - Proserpine BMX Club Ashleigh GUNN - Cairns BMX Club Inc Taylah MAURICE - Jingili BMX Club Jade PARKER - Caboolture BMX Club Rachelle SMITH - Bunbury BMX Club Gemma-Lee THOMAS - Southlake / Illawarra BMX Club Esther WOODWARD - Bendigo BMX Club Attendance Apologies: Abbie Blackburn
The Piranha Pit bottle allows you to re-hydrate with your helmet on while waiting in the staging area or you can just walk around with it at the track. It features a 750ml capacity with an opening large enough to fit ice cubes. The drinking tube is food grade safe with a lockable bite valve and dust cap. Just unlock the valve and bite down on the silicone nozzle. The bottle comes in eight Killa colours: Pitch Black, Chicken Yellow, Blood Orange, Gan Green, Flesh Pink, Purple Pain, Bruise Blue, and Red Rage. Priced at $20 they are available to buy online at www.killapiranha.com …its Killa. Find us also on Facebook at Killa Piranha.
Aussies on Track for big things in Rotterdam World number one Caroline Buchanan and Olympic silver medallist Sam Willoughby will headline BMX Australia’s team for the 2014 UCI BMX World Championships in Rotterdam from 22 – 27 July, 2014. Australia will be sending a comprehensive team brimming with talent led by the 23 riders in the championship class, that provide a mixture of both current and past world champions and Olympic medallists. Australia will be aiming to improve on its medal haul of four last time around in the championship class, and look to challenge the might of an imposing US team for top medal honours. Willoughby and Anthony Dean have both been training in the US in the lead up to this year’s event and have been in inspiring form with Dean finishing second in the opening round of the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series earlier this year. Willoughby won the second world cup round to compliment his 2014 Australian title and will aim to regain the world championship crown he won in 2012. Buchanan and Lauren Reynolds, who finished first and second last year respectively, will again battle it out for glory in what has developed into a healthy and exciting rivalry for women’s BMX racing.
Rachel Jones, who grabbed the silver medal last year in the junior women’s time trial, will be making the step up to the elite women’s category this year and will be looking to prove herself against the best in the world. The elite athletes will be supported by a further 93 riders in the challenge class that will make up 118 entries as some riders will be competing in both the 20” and 24” (cruiser) class. This will include some promising young riders who will be aiming to defend their titles from last year including Benaiah Richards (7yrs boys), Thomas Tucker (9yrs boys), Jesse Asmus (11yrs boys), Des’ree Barnes (12 yrs girls) and Shelby Green (14yrs girls). To keep up with all the news, interviews and results of the Australian team leading into and during the world championships, be sure to keep an eye on the BMX Australia website and social media pages.
a ride around the country
NSW
NSW’s biggest weekend of racing outside of a State Titles took place last weekend with 533 entries at Sawtell on the Saturday and a further 683 entries at Taree on the Sunday. These are two separate rounds of the NSW State Series and for NSW this is some sort of record.
“Thank goodness for online entries,” said NSW Registrar Sonia Buckley. “We are running at over 98% online entries for these events and without that the workload would be impossible.”
VIC
BMX in Victoria.
The Board of BMX Victoria has recently appointed Shannon Ryan to the role of Manager on a full time basis. Shannon’s appointment comes at an ideal time of growth for BMX. The increasing membership and participation in the sport saw the need for full time administrative support which will ensure the smooth running of
Shannon’s most recent role was with Basketball Australia where he was responsible for overseeing the Aussie Hoops Program (National Junior Participation Program) nationally. He has also spent time with Softball Australia and Bowls Victoria in their development programs. Shannon’s role will specifically ensure that BMX in Victoria is well resourced to support increasing participation, club development and specific areas under the Vic Health and Sports and Recreation Victoria (SRV) funded programs. He will also be a key interface to support the BMXV Board. “I realise what potential the sport has to grow across the state and am looking forward to working with the Victorian BMX community,” Ryan said.
SA
Question: What do you do when you have Olympians in your backyard but not Olympic standard facilities for them to train or race?
Answer: Get a small group of committed people together with the skills, contacts and determination to make Adelaide SupaX a reality. So watch this space as South Australia aim to continue their domination on the BMX world stage by providing the best facilities for the next generation. For more information or regular updates check out the facebook page “Adelaide needs an Olympic Standard BMX Facility” or the “Adelaide BMX SupaX” team app. The dates for the Chase 2014 BMXSA State Series have been finalised and the nominations will open in the next couple of weeks. Moving across the state from September to
December and with the support of sponsors such as Chase, Seal Custom BMX Plates & Tailwind Cycles the state series continues to be one of the pinnacle events of the SA year. After the format of the series was re-vamped a couple of years ago rider numbers have continued to rise with local and interstate riders participating. The fun of the Pit Bike Team race in the break still provides light relief while the sponsored fastest laps and holeshot awards give the riders something to aim for in each race. Round Round Round Round Round Round Round
1 – Saturday13th September. Happy Valley 2 – Sunday 14th September. The Cove 3 – Sunday 5th October. Blue Lake 4 – Saturday 1st November. Tea Tree Gully 5 – Sunday 2nd November. Gawler 6 – Sunday 30th November. The Copper Coast 7 - Saturday 13th December. Cross Keys
Congratulations to Sam Willoughby, Matt Willoughby, Shane Rosa & Anthony Dean for their success at the 2014 Subaru BMX Nationals, giving South Australia the Championship team award for the second year running!
t n o r f e h t m o r f g n i d Lea
造
BMX Australia e: info@bmxaustralia.com.au p: (02) 9339 5800 f: (02) 9339 5888 a: PO Box 6310, Alexandria, NSW 2015